By Jayson Jenks
Seattle Times staff reporter

BURIEN — Technically, there wasn't much riding on Kennedy Catholic's game against Renton Friday night.

Renton had already wrapped up the Seamount League boys basketball title by tipoff. But that didn't stop Kennedy Catholic's students from rushing the court afterward, and it didn't stop the Lancers from playing like a league championship was on the line.

In the final game of the regular season, Kennedy Catholic used a big fourth quarter to hand Renton, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, its first loss, 49-41.

"They were 19-0, and you don't get an opportunity to play a team that's 19-0 very often in your life," Kennedy Catholic coach Dan Hoffman said. "We really emphasized that all week."

Yet Kennedy (15-4, 12-2 Seamount League) needed to rally in the fourth quarter after Renton (19-1, 13-1) appeared in control.

Donovan Saario's jumper at the end of the third quarter gave the Indians a 36-29 lead, their largest of the night. But Kennedy stirred immediately in the fourth.

The Lancers started persistently working the ball inside to 6-foot-6 senior Cole Madison and 6-4 senior Josh Sierhuis. Renton's tallest starter is 6-2, and the big Kennedy duo combined for 13 points and seven rebounds in the final quarter.

Sierhuis led Kennedy with 18 points while Madison had eight, including seven in the second half. Anthony McCluskey added 13 for the Lancers.

"We had to work the ball inside," Hoffman said. "That's where our advantage was. And those are the guys who can score."

Renton missed its first five shots of the fourth quarter and finished 1 of 13 in the period, while also committing five turnovers. Kennedy, on the other hand, missed only one of 10 fourth-quarter shots.

Jonathan Patterson and Lavelle Smith led Renton with 10 points apiece, but the Indians shot just 21 percent in the second half.

Both teams head into district play next week as No. 1 seeds out of Seamount, Kennedy in 3A and Renton in 2A.

Girls game

Renton 58,

at Kennedy Catholic 28

Ninth-ranked Renton (18-2, 14-0) capped an undefeated run through the Seamount League behind 24 points from junior Taylor Farris and nine from senior Jordan Armstrong.

Renton's closest league game was an 18-point win against Kennedy three weeks ago.